Fly Tying Inventory
Waterhen Bloa
The Waterhen Bloa is a traditional soft-hackle spider with only two materials beyond the silk: a slim body of mole fur dubbed sparingly on yellow silk, and a sparse collar of waterhen feather. The mole is applied so thinly that the yellow silk shows through it. The hackle can be wound after the body is complete, or tied in first and wound once the body is dubbed. Tied here on a size 12 Fulling Mill All-Purpose Medium hook.
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Materials
Fulling Mill All-Purpose Medium hook, size 12
12
Mole fur dubbing, natural
Waterhen feather
How to Tie the Waterhen Bloa
- 1
Step 1
Fix the hook in the vise, start the yellow silk behind the eye and wind it down the shank toward the bend.
- 2
Step 2
Take a very small pinch of mole fur and dub it thinly onto the silk, so the yellow still shows through.
- 3
Step 3
Wind the dubbed silk forward to form a slim body, stopping short of the eye to leave room for the hackle.
- 4
Step 4
Prepare a waterhen feather by pulling away the fluffy fibers at the base of the stem.
- 5
Step 5
Tie in the feather just behind the eye and trim the waste.
- 6
Step 6
Wind the feather behind the eye to make a sparse collar. Tie it off and trim the excess.
- 7
Step 7
Stroke the fibers back, whip finish the silk and trim.
As an alternative, tie in the feather behind the eye before dubbing the body, then wind it once the body is finished.
Watch Tying Tutorial
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYi59Tsbgkg
Credit: Davie McPhail